deceased

Etymology

decease +‎ -ed, from Middle English deceas via Old French, from Latin dēcessus (“departure”), equivalent to Latin dēced-, variation of Latin dēcēdō, dēcēdere (“to go away”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈsiːst/
• (US) enPR: dē-sēst' IPA^(key): /di.ˈsist/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /di.ˈsist/, /di.ˈsizd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːst

Adjective

deceased (not comparable)

1. No longer alive, dead
   • That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not ’alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein’ tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk. Monty Python
2. Belonging to the dead.
   • The executor’s commission for winding up the deceased estate was 3.5%.
3. (law) One who has died. In property law, the alternate term decedent is generally used. In criminal law, “the deceased” refers to the victim of a homicide.

Noun

deceased (plural deceased or deceaseds)

1. A dead person.

   The deceased was interred in his local churchyard.

   a memorial to the deceased of two World Wars

2. (law) One who has died. In property law, the alternate term decedent is generally used in US English. In criminal law, “the deceased” refers to the victim of a homicide.